Musings of a Wise Girl
by Musicangel913
Summary: A lot happens in PJO/HoO...but what does Annabeth think of it all? Various vignettes from both series from our favorite Wise Girl's POV. Rated T just in case. Rick Riordan owns everything, I just play. Comments/reviews appreciated. Enjoy!
1. Welcome to Camp

"No!" I screamed. "No, Luke! We have to go back! We have to help her!"

"Keep going!" Grover urged. "We're almost there!" We charged up the hill – or rather, Grover and Luke charged up the hill, Luke trying desperately to keep hold of me as I struggled in his arms.

"Annabeth, hold still!" Luke tightened his grip around my waist, and I wriggled even more. "We need to get to safety! We-" The rest of his words were drowned out by an impossibly loud roar from one of the creatures pursuing us, the creatures that Thalia was now facing, alone.

From my spot over Luke's shoulder, I could see the whole gristly scene. The monsters were enormous, and they looked very, _very_ hungry – hungry for blood. Thalia, brave as always, stood her ground and unveiled Aegis, her magic shield, with a tap of her wrist and a "HA!" The creatures backed off momentarily – with its likeness of Medusa's face, Aegis truly was terrifying – but they quickly got over their fear and attacked.

Thalia raised her spear and uttered a wild battle cry as the first monster – a gigantic dog with glowing red eyes – attacked. Spear connected with fur, and the beast exploded in a cloud of gold dust. Unfortunately for my friend, dozens more of the creatures still remained, as well as three bat-like women with sharp fangs for teeth and talons for claws. Thalia fought bravely, bringing down several more hounds, but finally, one of them hit her with a blow to the chest that, even from this distance, I knew spelled bad news.

"Thalia!" I cried. "Luke, she's hurt! Go back! _Thalia!"_ Our friend lay motionless at the top of the hill, the monsters who'd defeated her now eying us hungrily.

Suddenly, a huge bolt of lightning lit up the sky, vaporizing the remaining demons in a blast of gold so bright we were momentarily blinded. When the smoke cleared, Thalia was gone, the spot where her body had just been now occupied by a magnificent pine. In that instant, I knew she was gone.

"_No,_" I whispered, the tears starting to flow. _"No! Thaliaaaaaaa!" _The last syllable of my fallen comrade's name morphed into a wail as I broke down completely, sobbing into Luke's shoulder as he tried to comfort me.

* * *

I should have been impressed by the Big House's splendor, its sky blue façade sparkling in the early morning sunlight. I should have been shocked to discover that Chiron, the activities director, was not only a bona fide centaur, but the same Chiron who'd trained such mighty heroes as Hercules. I should have been thirsting for more as Chiron and Grover explained all about the gods, Camp Half-Blood, and our status as demigods, and I should have been in awe when a gigantic owl hologram made an appearance at my first campfire, claiming me as a daughter of Athena. But I wasn't. How could I be, how could I possibly feel any of those things when my best friend was dead? I was even mad at Luke – he'd promised to keep us together, to keep us safe. He'd _promised._

Finally, though, as I sat under Thalia's pine tree one morning, I realized something. Thalia wouldn't have wanted me to be like this. It hurt to think of her in the past tense, but I knew in my heart it was true. I could almost hear her voice scolding me: "Annabeth Chase, is _this_ really how you're repaying me?" She died to give us a chance, and here I was, wasting that chance. In that instant, I resolved to do better. I would train harder, learn more, and give my all every day, and when my time came to fight, it would be the monsters who ran screaming in fear.


	2. A Child of the Elder Gods

The sun rose high over Half-Blood Hill, soaking everything from the strawberry fields to the lake and beyond in a soft golden glow. Shouts and the clash of metal rang up from the arena, and the conversations of dozens of demigods buzzed throughout the dining pavilion. Just another day at camp…and I was having none of it. I'd been holed up in my cabin since breakfast, trying anything I could to take my mind off things, but my ADHD was going haywire at the moment. I'd tried drafting, I'd tried reading, I'd tried pacing. Finally, I gave up and flopped on my bunk, trying to sort through my thoughts.

Grover and Chiron had been gone for almost the entire school year. Grover's absence alone, I could understand – it was his job to go out and find demigods – but Chiron's was another story. Back in September, Chiron and I had been chatting on the porch of the Big House when an Iris Message from Grover appeared – this one looked especially strong, special, even. By "this one," I knew Grover meant the half-blood he'd been sent to protect. Apparently Chiron agreed, because he'd immediately left camp to assume the (suddenly vacated) post of Latin teacher at Yancy Academy. Now _that_ was a big deal. Chiron almost _never_ left camp, so when he left so quickly for this kid, I couldn't help but wonder if maybe this was my chance.

See, I'd been at camp for almost five years now, but Chiron told me it wasn't my time yet. Other demigods came and went on quests all the time – even Luke went on a quest for his dad, Hermes – but apparently I wasn't supposed to have my quest until "someone special" came along. Maybe this kid was that "someone special," and maybe I was finally going to get my quest. But what the Hades was taking them so long?

Don't get me wrong – I loved camp. I loved the new challenges every day's classes brought me, whether it was sword fighting, scaling the climbing wall, or canoeing on the lake. I loved learning about the gods and practicing my Ancient Greek, and I loved my brothers and sisters. I was senior counselor of the Athena cabin – I wasn't the oldest, but I'd been there the longest, so none of my siblings contested the appointment – and we'd enjoyed putting our heads together to pull some awesome pranks on the other cabins. But a quest was something different, a quest showed what you could really do. Out in the real world, it was just you and the monsters. Out in the real world, survival wasn't just a game.

I also couldn't get the Great Prophecy out of my head. _A half-blood of the eldest gods shall reach sixteen against all odds…_the first lines were troublesome enough that I didn't even bother with the rest. The prophecy referred to a child of the gods known as "the Big Three" – the brothers Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. The problem was the pact. After their children caused the mass devastation that was World War II, the Big Three made a pact not to sire any more offspring. Zeus was the only one to cave, so far as we knew – the result was Thalia, but she was gone, dead at twelve…but the prophecy said sixteen, and although Chiron had taught me that prophecies' meanings were often hazy until they came to pass, we both agreed that the first line was pretty clear. Somewhere down the line, somebody else had slipped.

I really wasn't sure how I felt about the idea of a Big Three demigod. A child of Zeus would remind me too much of Thalia – children with the same godly parent tended to look and act a lot alike. A child of Hades…ok, that thought was just too creepy. And a child of Poseidon…well, there was the whole Athena-and-Poseidon-hate-each-other thing, so I figured that didn't bode well for me either. The only thing that was for sure was that he or she would be really powerful.

The cabin door banged open, startling me out of my reverie, and my brother Malcolm shouted to me, "Annabeth, Chiron and Grover are back!" He also said something about a dark-haired kid and a bull, but I wasn't listening anymore, already halfway to the Big House.

* * *

Oh, gods no. A son of _Poseidon?_ Really, Chiron? I had my suspicions when the newcomer – Percy, his name was – pulled that trick on Clarisse and her cronies in the bathrooms, but when that holographic trident appeared after Capture the Flag, my worst fears were confirmed. Mom was _not_ going to like this…and I had a feeling I wasn't either.

* * *

_Di immortales, _was this boy really _that _stupid? If I'd been able to reach Percy, I would've punched him soundly…but I couldn't, so I settled for screaming instead. We were hurtling along a dark tube on the "Tunnel of Love" ride – _so_ embarrassing – at an old abandoned water park, on some stupid side quest to retrieve the shield Ares had left behind on his little cuddle sesh with Aphrodite, all because that _Seaweed Brain _had decided that _insulting a god_ was a good idea. On top of that, the whole thing had been a trap, and now we were being broadcast live to Olympus as we barreled along, pursued by thousands of gallons of water filled by just as many automaton spiders. Big Three or not, Percy was going to pay for this.

* * *

The truck smelled disgusting, way worse than the zoo these animals were probably destined for. The lion kept eyeballing us and yawning, its rank breath adding to the stench. Grover looked miserable – he obviously didn't like the thought of the animals being caged. Percy was staring at the antelope but not seeing it, clearly lost in thought. I wondered what he was thinking about, but I had an idea. For some reason unknown to either of us, I'd told him my whole story the night before – about Thalia sacrificing herself so we could get to camp, about how Grover was our protector, about my relationship with my dad – and when Percy had asked why I was telling him all this, I'd responded, "Because you're my friend, Seaweed Brain."

As disturbing as it was, I believed every word.

* * *

The campfire flames danced and sparked as our burial shrouds burned. The Hephaestus cabin's Fourth of July fireworks display lit up the sky and left images popping before our eyes long after the last rockets had fizzled out. I couldn't believe how much had happened over the last few weeks, but it was definitely a summer worth remembering. As Percy and I said goodbye to Grover – he'd finally gotten his searcher's license and was off to look for Pan – I thought about everything we'd faced on our quest. There was Medusa, who nearly succeeded in turning us all into garden statues. There was the pink poodle, and the chimera that blew up half the St. Louis arch (I know Percy said it wasn't his fault, but I wasn't sure I was ready to forgive him for destroying a national monument). There was the Underworld in all its creepiness, and Cerberus, the attention-starved dog who really just needed a playmate – I hoped Hades would take Percy's comments on that seriously. There was Percy's showdown with Ares on the beach, during which I seriously thought we were all going to die. And finally, there was the look on everyone's faces as we told our tale, and the look on Percy's as we presented him with his first Camp Half-Blood bead: pitch black, emblazoned with a green trident. Even in the dim light, I could tell he was blushing.

Now, as I walked towards Thalia's pine tree, our last conversation of the summer replayed itself in my head. I'd told Percy I was going to give my dad another chance, try to live a little in the mortal world before coming back to camp next summer. Then, Percy and I would go on a quest to find Luke and set things right.

"Take care, Seaweed Brain," I said. "Keep your eyes open."

"You too, Wise Girl."

As I reached the pine, I turned and took one last look at camp. It was still a little difficult to process everything that had happened this summer, and Luke's betrayal hurt more than anything – he meant more than family to me. I wanted nothing more than to find him and make everything better, to keep my end of the promise we'd made all those years ago. I knew it wasn't going to be easy – Luke hadn't been the same since his quest, and his bitterness was obvious – but part of me still held out. I'd known Luke for so long, it was hard to believe some of the things Percy'd said he said. But if there was one thing I'd learned this summer, it was that not only was Percy a complete moron, he was also very brave and unwaveringly loyal. He'd proven on this quest that he'd do anything to uphold what he knew was right and to protect those he loved, and as much as I hated to admit it, I admired that about him. Maybe, just maybe, Seaweed Brain wasn't so bad after all.


	3. Cyclopes and Satyrs and Sheep, Oh My!

I sat in the hallway of Meriweather College Prep School in downtown Manhattan, waiting for my friend Percy to come out of social studies class. So far, he'd made it through the school year unscathed, but even though this was his last day of school (a personal record), I had a bad feeling that things weren't going to end smoothly. And how could they, after I'd seen that monster following Percy around all day? The Mist obscured stuff like that for the mortals, but I had no idea why Percy hadn't noticed, even if he was a Seaweed Brain…

The door to the classroom was slightly ajar, and I could hear snippets of conversation from kids eager for the day to be over. Then there was a ripping sound, like a page being torn out of a notebook, and a very familiar voice cried, "Hey!"

"No way, Jackson," another voice responded. "Who is that? She is _not_ your…"

"Give it back!" Percy said quickly, sounding almost embarrassed.

A photo? Given his classmate's comment, it couldn't have been much else…but a photo of who? We'd Iris-Messaged a few times throughout the school year, and it didn't sound like he was all that popular at Meriweather. Wait…I'd sent Percy some pictures from my spring break trip to Washington, D.C. Did Percy have a photo of _me _in his notebook? The thought distracted me, and I missed the rest of the conversation, coming back to my senses only when the bell rang. I checked my watch and cursed in Ancient Greek – the next period was the last of the day. If I was going to warn Percy, it would have to be now.

Students streamed out into the corridors, heading off to their last classes. Finally, my friend emerged.

"Percy!" I whispered urgently. He turned, confused, but since I was wearing my Yankees cap, he couldn't see me. I was hoping he'd recognize my voice and realize I was there, but he didn't. _Typical Seaweed Brain,_ I thought as I cursed again and grudgingly followed him down the hall.

* * *

First I had to deal with the dodgeball game from Hades, endure a taxi ride from the Gray Sisters, and accept the fact that Percy has a Cyclops for a half-brother. _Gross._ Then we almost got pecked to death by Stymphalian pigeons when our twisted new activities director, Tantalus, insisted on reinstating chariot races. After that, we free-fell off the cruise ship _Princess Andromeda_ after hearing Luke rant about how we were fools to not side with Kronos, the Titan Lord who was currently reforming, piece by piece, in a golden coffin. Finally, we'd made it to the Sea of Monsters, only to be blown to smithereens by Scylla and Charybdis because a certain daughter of Ares can't listen to reason.

It has _not_ been my best week.

The _CSS Birmingham_ sank in the explosion, along with the entire crew, Clarisse, and Tyson. Percy had unleashed the winds as we fell, and as much as I hated to say it aloud, I had a feeling we were the only survivors.

"I'm sorry, Percy," I said quietly. "I wish I could tell Tyson I was wrong about him." He was silent for a moment. When he did speak, it was about an entirely different topic altogether.

"Annabeth, what's Chiron's prophecy?" I shuddered. This was not a conversation that needed to be happening on a makeshift raft in the middle of nowhere.

"Um, Percy…it really should wait," I tried, but he wasn't hearing it.

"No. I want to know. I'm guessing the gods are worried about something that will happen when I'm sixteen." I sighed. Why do you have to be smart _now,_ Seaweed Brain?

"Possibly," I said, choosing my words carefully. "The prophecy warns of a child of the Big Three reaching the age of sixteen, because when that time comes, that half-blood will decide the fate of Olympus." I paused for a moment to let that sink in. "Obviously Chiron thought Thalia was the one, but…well, you know what happened to her. She's not turning sixteen anytime soon. But it might not be you, either – three years is a really long time for a demigod."

"Thanks for the reassurance." Percy rolled his eyes.

"No, it's just…" I began, but I was interrupted by dry land and a woman's voice.

"Hello. Is this your first time with us?" She held a clipboard and sounded businesslike.

"Um…yes?" I said, my response definitely sounding more like a question than an answer.

"Welcome to C.C.'s Resort and Spa." She looked us both up and down like we were animals in the zoo. "Full treatments for both, I think. Follow me please."

We followed the woman to a beautiful marble building, where we met our host, a stunning woman with dark hair and sparkling green eyes. After a brief conversation about beauty and wasted potential, C.C. instructed a girl named Hylla to take me to the spa.

I wanted to protest leaving Percy – separating on a quest, especially when you don't know where you are, is _always _a bad idea – but the words died in my throat as I saw the gardens. Usually I left the plant life to the satyrs and the Demeter kids, but even I was in awe at the incredible beauty before me. The sculpted topiaries and carefully planned beds reminded me that gardening was, in a way, another form of architecture, and I appreciated it even more.

As we walked, Hylla told me of all the wonderful things I could expect from the spa, and she certainly delivered on her promise. A short time later, my reflection left me speechless. My white silk dress was impossibly soft on my bare skin. My braided curls glistened with golden ribbons, and although I normally wouldn't be caught dead in makeup, even I had to admit it was a positive addition. I looked…_beautiful._ Curious to see what C.C. had managed with Percy in my absence, I asked Hylla to take me back to her.

"Miss C.C.?" I called as I entered the room. I thought I heard the swish of cloth and a muffled curse, but I wasn't sure. "Where's Percy?"

"He's having one of our treatments, dear, not to worry. But what did you think of your tour? You look wonderful!" C.C. gushed.

"Oh, the library was marvelous!" I said.

"Of course! You could study to be anything you want…but you, my dear, have the makings of a sorceress!"

"A sorceress?" This did not sound good.

"Yes! You could be immortal, join the legion of the great sorceresses – Medea, Calypso, and of course, myself."

"Circe," I breathed. "You're Circe!"

"Yes, dear, I am." Her smile didn't seem so welcoming now.

"Where is _Percy?"_ I was starting to get seriously agitated.

"Oh, I only helped him realize his true form," she responded casually. That was when I saw the cage full of guinea pigs, one of which was squeaking in terror and staring right at me.

"Oh _gods,"_ I said as I rushed to the cage. "What have you done?"

"Oh, he'll be fine. The kindergarteners will love him, don't you worry. Forget him."

"I…" I was a daughter of Athena, goddess of strategy, but I had no strategy. "Can I at least have a minute to…say goodbye?" Luckily, she granted my request. As soon as she was gone, I turned to the cage.

"Which one is you?" I demanded. Unfortunately, all of the guinea pigs started squealing at once, making it impossible to determine which was my friend. I scanned the floor and saw the hem of a pair of jeans sticking out from underneath the loom. _Could it be…yes!_ They were Percy's clothes, all right. I plunged my hand in the pockets, hoping to find Riptide, but it wasn't there. Oh, Styx…maybe it only worked for him. I did, however, find the bottle of multivitamins Hermes had given us, and that gave me an idea…

Half an hour later, we were at sea once more, aboard the _Queen Anne's Revenge_.

"Thanks for helping me out back there," Percy said. "I'm sorry…" I shut him up with a hug, then backed away, embarrassed.

"No problem, Seaweed Brain," I said awkwardly, my cheeks flushed. "I'm just glad you're not a guinea pig."

* * *

No matter how much I fought, I could not break free from the arms that held me. The harder I struggled, the more he tightened his grip. Major déjà vu...except this time, instead of Luke, it was Percy holding me back.

It couldn't have been easy, but he finally succeeded in forcing my head underwater, pulling me several feet below the surface before creating an air bubble around us. As soon as I could breathe, I burst into tears.

"Hey, it's ok," Percy said. "We made it out alright." He still had his arms wrapped tightly around me, but I was too upset to be embarrassed. I wasn't about to admit it, but I needed that hug more than anything just then.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, avoiding his gaze. "I'm pathetic."

"No, no." He gestured towards the surface, asking me with his eyes if I was ready to go back up. I nodded, and we shot towards the boat, landing softly on the battered old deck.

Percy found me a blanket, which I gladly accepted. We might have been dry, but I was shaking like mad. I could still hear the Sirens' song in the distance, but I was so dazed I hardly noticed. Eventually, the song faded to nothing, and I nodded to Percy that it was ok for him to remove his earplugs. As soon as he did, he was at my side.

"You alright?" he asked. I didn't respond. How could I? Of course I wasn't alright...but I wasn't about to tell him that. He had enough on his mind.

"Annabeth, I know what the Sirens showed you. I...somehow, I could see it too." I inhaled sharply. At least I didn't have to explain, but still. Ouch.

"Hubris," I whispered.

"Huh? Isn't that the stuff you put on sandwiches?"

"No, Percy, that's hummus. Hubris...the Sirens showed me my fatal flaw. Hubris is excessive pride, thinking you can do better than anyone."

"A beautiful city...your family reunited...and...Luke whole...all your work..." I could tell Percy had trouble saying that last bit.

"Everyone has a fatal flaw, but most aren't lucky enough to discover it. Well, not lucky, I guess...but it can kill you if you can't control it. I mean...it's called a 'fatal flaw' for a reason," I finished lamely.

"It won't." Percy sounded so sure that I looked up, surprised. His green eyes were locked on mine, his expression determined. "Annabeth, if anyone's smart enough to overcome their fatal flaw, it's you. I know you can beat this, and I know you will."

"Thanks, Percy." It occurred to me then that he'd actually used my real name, instead of his usual "Wise Girl," and despite the circumstances, I couldn't help but smile.

* * *

As we raced back to camp on the backs of the hippocampi, I thought about everything that had happened in the last 24 hours. I wish I could say I played a spectacular role in the recovery of the fleece, but my career as "Nobody" ended abruptly when Polyphemus knocked me out. Percy and the others still managed to defeat the Cyclops and get the fleece out, but still. Some hero I turned out to be.

Then there was the whole confrontation with Luke. Chiron and the Party Ponies arrived just in time to take on Kronos' thugs - with paintball guns and boxing glove arrows, no less. I loved Chiron, but I was glad he's not like his relatives - they were _really _strange. The hardest part, though, was watching Luke fight Percy. I still couldn't accept the fact that Luke was evil. It was obvious that Percy had had enough of that particular argument, but I wasn't ready to give it up just yet. Somewhere in there was the real Luke, the Luke I knew and loved, and if it was in my power to save him, I would.

* * *

The sun was starting to come up over Half-Blood Hill, its rays slowing inching their way over the cabins, the strawberry fields, and the Big House. I was more than ready to hit the sack - I'd offered to take the night watch over the fleece, and I was dead on my feet. Chiron had said something about getting a guardian for the tree - a dragon, maybe. Hopefully he'd be getting on that soon. The fleece was important, but even I could only pull so many sleepless nights.

The pine was lush and green, healthy again thanks to the fleece's magic. The last of the poison had finally seeped out during the night, and something was lying next to the tree, like a large shadow. I was thinking about last night's chariot races. Percy and I had teamed up this time, and thanks to a few superb additions from Tyson, we'd won. Chiron had presented us with the winners' laurels, and in a fit of celebration, I'd kissed Percy on the cheek. What possessed me to do that, I don't know, but I can't deny I blushed afterwards. Oh man, were my feelings a mess. I sighed...and then the shadowlike object next to the tree really registered in my head. _No...it can't be! _I did the only thing I could think of: I screamed. Almost instantly, I was rewarded with the urgent pounding of hoofbeats.

"Chiron! I don't know how...she just..." I pointed to the tree, at a loss for words. He looked as stunned as I was.

"We need to get Percy." He raced off down the hill and returned a few minutes later, Percy on his back. A small crowd of campers followed.

"Annabeth, what's wrong?" Percy demanded. I pointed to the girl.

"Well? She clearly needs nectar and ambrosia, somebody get me some!" An Apollo camper obliged, but all of us were quiet. I was probably the only person besides Grover and Chiron who knew just how serious the situation was, but everyone else could at least tell that something big had happened...except that "something big" didn't really cover it.

The fleece hadn't just expelled the poison from Thalia's tree. It had expelled Thalia herself...alive.


	4. Atlas Shrugged (& Broke Free)

**A/N: Here we go, on to "The Titan's Curse" - hope you've enjoyed so far! As always, Rick Riordan owns everything PJO-related. :)**

* * *

Thalia and I tumbled out of the car, our sides aching from laughing. Percy followed, looking highly embarrassed. His mom had just given us a lift to a school called Westover Hall, from where Grover had sent out a distress call. From the sounds of it, he'd found new demigods and needed our help. Ms. Jackson had entertained us for almost the entire eight-hour drive with stories of Percy as a baby, most of which we thought were either hilarious, adorable, or both. Judging from his expression, Percy didn't agree with us.

Westover Hall was a huge stone fortress, almost like a castle, situated right on the coast. If it were daytime, we probably would have been treated to a truly spectacular view…but since the winter sun sets practically right after lunch in Maine, it was pitch black. Instead, we waved to Ms. Jackson and trudged our way up the snowy slope to the massive iron front doors.

* * *

"Guys, you look like idiots just standing there! Dance!" Thalia called.

"Um…who am I supposed to ask?" Percy wondered as he scanned the gym.

"You're supposed to ask _me_, Seaweed Brain," I replied. Gods, this boy was dense sometimes.

"Oh…right." He awkwardly placed his left hand on my waist and intertwined his right hand with my own. He stared around the room, almost deliberately looking anywhere but at me as we slowly revolved on the spot. I could tell Percy didn't do this much – his grip on my hand was almost uncomfortably tight, and he kept stepping on my toes in his struggle to avoid eye contact – but honestly, I kind of liked it.

All of a sudden, Percy muttered, "Oh, no…" I followed his gaze towards the bleachers, where the di Angelo kids had been sitting only minutes before. Now, though, the bleachers were empty, and a single green cap that we recognized as Bianca's lay abandoned on the bottom step.

"We've got to find the others and help them," Percy said quickly. "Where'd they dance off to?" He started frantically scanning the crowd. "No…wait. Annabeth, go find Thalia and Grover. They need to know what's happened, and we need their help. I'll go find the di Angelos and Dr. Thorn." Before I could protest, he took off across the gym, pulling Riptide from his pocket as he went. I sighed – clearly, Percy hadn't learned anything about splitting up from our previous two quests. I located our friends as quickly as I could, then took off after the idiot son of Poseidon.

Five minutes later, I found them. Percy and the di Angelos were backed up to the cliff by Dr. Thorn, who was, of course, a monster – a manticore, to be precise. Percy had his sword drawn, and the di Angelos both looked extremely confused – the younger one kept going on about attack points and looked at the manticore as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Percy looked determined to protect the new demigods, but I knew that whatever he was planning, it probably wasn't a good idea. Thalia and Grover were on their way, but they wouldn't get here before Thorn skewered everyone. It was time for this Wise Girl to take matters into her own hands.

* * *

"Luke…oh, _Luke,"_ I whispered, the tears threatening to spill over. "What have they done to you?"

Luke was on his knees, his arms supporting what looked to be an impossibly enormous rock over his head. Beads of sweat trickled down his face and he gritted his teeth, obviously in pain.

"Annabeth, no…" he started, but I ran to his side before he could finish.

"Let me help you," I said. "Please." And, without thinking about what I was actually doing, I crawled under the rock next to him. By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late. The instant my fingers touched the rock's cool surface, Luke let go and dove for freedom.

"You know this one well, Luke," his companion said. "She did just as you said she would." In my haste to get to Luke, I hadn't really noticed this guy before. His smile was cold, his eyes even colder.

"That's Annabeth for you," Luke replied. "She'll do anything to save her _friends._" He almost spat the last word, and the sneer in his voice was unmistakable.

"You…" I couldn't think of words dark enough to curse the boy standing in front of me – and even if I had, the weight of whatever I was holding was so oppressive that I couldn't spare the extra breath to speak them.

"Allow me to introduce myself, darling Annabeth," Luke's companion said, his eyes gleaming wickedly. "My name is Atlas. Perhaps you've heard of me before?"

Wait…Atlas? I definitely knew _that_ name. But if he was Atlas…and he was walking free…then that meant I was holding…the _sky?_ Oh dear gods…

* * *

"At last, at last!" Atlas crowed, his triumph sending shivers down my spine. "The goddess in chains!" He shoved the newcomer to the floor, and she yelped in pain as her body connected awkwardly with the hard ground. I could barely see – my curls hung in disheveled strands all around my face, and my eyes watered from the weight of the sky – but I gasped when I recognized her face. It was Artemis. Her beautiful silver dress was in tatters, and the chains binding her hand and foot cut cruelly into her pale skin. Fine cuts littered her face and arms. I shuddered. Artemis was a _goddess_ – what had they _done_ to her?

"Annabeth," she murmured. In spite of her ragged appearance, her voice was still strong. No sooner had she spoken my name did she turn on Atlas. "How _dare_ you do something so despicable to so strong a maiden? How _dare_ you…" Artemis was seething.

"Oh, but I didn't, Artemis dear," Atlas grinned. "It was her choice. So _easy,_ with Luke in so much _pain…_" At his words, Artemis grew even angrier.

"Manipulating her through this _boy_…_disgusting,_ all of you…" her dark eyes, normally so warm and inviting, radiated nothing but hatred. She turned towards me again and was soon at my side.

"Annabeth," she said, "I admire your courage and strength. You have the makings of a true Huntress – only one such as you could have withstood this burden for so long."

"I…thank you, Lady Artemis," I stammered, attempting to be as respectful as possible while simultaneously trying not to get crushed. I knew her words were just about the highest praise I could expect from any of the gods.

"Release my chains. I command it," Artemis told Atlas. He nodded, clapped his hands twice, and her bonds vanished. The goddess's determined gaze told me what she was about to do.

"Lady Artemis, no!" I groaned, almost choking from the unexpected effort speaking required. "Don't give in, it's what they want!"

"And leave you to die? Never." Her eyes turned cold again, making it clear that our discussion was over. I nodded once reluctantly, and she crawled under the rock next to me.

"Go," she whispered as soon as her hands connected with the sky. "I will _not_ let a promising girl like you die at the hands of _them."_

* * *

I struggled with all my might, trying to break my bonds, but they held fast. As I worked, I kept my eyes on the scene before me. Thalia and Luke were closest, their weapons colliding so quickly they were a blur. Meanwhile, Percy and Zoë had attacked Atlas, and things were not going well. Zoë's arrows were only further aggravating the Titan Lord, and Percy seemed to be having trouble wielding Riptide. I recalled the warning Ares gave him on the beach after our first quest: _When you need it most, your sword will fail you._ I prayed to all the gods that this wasn't the time – even _with_ Riptide, Percy barely stood a chance against Atlas. I couldn't bear to think of what would happen if the weapon failed.

"Run, boy!" I heard Artemis telling him. "You must run!" He dodged another strike from Atlas, then bent down to speak to Artemis. I couldn't hear their conversation through the raging battle, but the goddess looked worried. Even as she shook her head, Percy slashed through her chains with Riptide and knelt beside her.

"_Di immortales,_ Percy," I whispered. "What are you doing?" I recalled Artemis's words: _You have the makings of a true Huntress – only one such as you could have withstood this burden for so long._ Somehow I knew that Percy wouldn't be able to survive holding the sky for nearly as long…but how much time did we have?

My attention was momentarily diverted from Percy by the newly-freed Artemis. Her hunting knives flashed wickedly through the air, and her movements were impossibly graceful and fluid. I couldn't help but admire her courage – after holding the weight of the sky for as long as she did, she still found the strength to singlehandedly duel a Titan.

"Yield!" Thalia yelled. "You never could beat me, Luke!" She was right, of course – I'd never seen her lose.

"We'll see, my old friend," he snarled back.

Behind them, I suddenly saw Atlas fly across the cavern, where he crashed right into Percy. Quick as lightning, Percy rolled out of the way, leaving Atlas holding his rightful burden. I was relieved Percy was safe, but my relief turned to despair as Thalia and Luke caught my attention once more. Luke was weaponless, and Thalia had her spear point at his throat.

"Don't kill him!" I yelled, making my way over as quickly as I could while massaging my wrists.

"He's a traitor, Annabeth!" Thalia yelled back.

"We'll bring Luke back to Olympus. He'll be…he'll be useful," I begged. I knew it was a fruitless argument, but no matter how many people told me so, I couldn't accept that Luke was evil. I just couldn't.

Thalia hesitated, and Luke took advantage of her hesitation to try and grab her spear. She kicked out without thinking, and I saw what was going to happen just before it did.

"No!" I screamed. "Luke!" But it was too late – Luke had been too close to the edge of the cliff, and when Thalia's foot connected with his chest, he tumbled over backwards like a rag doll. We looked down and saw him lying on the rocks. There was no way anyone could survive a fall like that. I could feel tears threatening to spill over, and I saw wetness in Thalia's eyes as well.

"Artemis!" Percy's yell snapped me back to reality. The goddess knelt on the ground across the cavern from us, Zoë cradled in her arms. The Huntress was clearly in bad shape. Luke, Zoë…it was too much. I let my tears flow freely, grieving for the broken boy and the fallen maiden. Nobody moved, and nobody seemed to care that Kronos' army was about to kill us all.

"Get away from my daughter!" The voice was so familiar, and yet so foreign, that I almost wrote it off as a hallucination…until I saw the plane.

"Dad?" I yelled. As unbelievable as it seemed, the craft overhead was a Sopwith Camel...and there was only one person eccentric enough to own one of those.

"We must get Zoë away from here," Artemis insisted urgently. She gave a clear blast on her hunting horn, which was almost immediately echoed by the sound of machine guns. I turned my attention to the plane again, where my dad was glued to the controls, a grim expression on his face. Legions of monsters vaporized as the bullets hit them – where in Hades did my dad get celestial bronze?

"Get in," Artemis said, stirring me from my awestruck daze. Before us was a beautiful silver chariot. We all clambered in, careful not to jar Zoë too much, and took off, my dad following close behind.

* * *

So far, the gods had decided not to kill us, but that wasn't necessarily a promising development. Several of them still had highly doubtful looks on their faces, as if the thought of keeping us alive was about as appealing as sour milk. Artemis, however, was insisting that we be rewarded. Honestly, I thought she was the one who deserved the reward – she'd done more than all of us put together, in my opinion – but I wasn't about to argue with one of the few gods who was definitely on our side.

"My faithful companion, Zoë Nightshade, has passed into the stars. I must have a new lieutenant," she was saying. She requested a private conversation with Zeus, and Percy suddenly spoke at my side.

"Annabeth, don't," he said softly, a noticeable hint of panic in his voice.

"Don't what?" I asked, frowning at my friend.

"I need to tell you something…I couldn't stand it if…I don't want you to…" it sounded as if he couldn't get his thoughts straight.

"Percy, you look like you're going to be sick," I said. And he definitely did – his pained expression was one I'd never seen before. I didn't have time to dwell on it though – Artemis had finished her discussion with Zeus.

"I shall have a new lieutenant, if she will accept it," Artemis said.

"No," Percy whispered. What in the gods' name was wrong with him?

"Thalia, daughter of Zeus, will you join the Hunt?"

"I will," Thalia responded. I smiled broadly. I still wasn't sure what Percy's problem was, but I knew that Thalia had made the right choice. I knew from our previous conversations how much the thought of the prophecy weighed on her, and now she would never have to bear that burden again.

* * *

The post-council party was the best party I'd ever been to, hands down. Gods and demigods laughed, danced, and enjoyed themselves as they feasted on dozens of dishes weighing down a grand table in the middle of the floor. Music blared from gigantic speakers, and the Ophiotaurus' cage bounced through the air like an oversized beach ball – I'm sure Poseidon wasn't so thrilled about that one. I was chatting with a group of satyrs and minor gods when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"A word, my daughter?" My mother looked at me expectantly, her utterance more of a command than a request.

"Um…sure." I followed her out of the main room, away from the noise and chatter.

"Annabeth, I hope you understand why I did what I did tonight." I knew she was referring to her decisions during the council meeting, especially when she spoke up and proclaimed it dangerous to keep Percy alive.

"He's not bad, Mom," I said, her words still bitter in my mind.

"Not yet," she replied, "but personal loyalty is his fatal flaw. He will stop at nothing to save those he loves – which, in moderation, can be a good thing, but in a hero, that is very dangerous indeed. Fighting evil is easy, but fighting a lack of wisdom is not." I couldn't argue with that. As annoying as my mother could be sometimes, she definitely knew what she was talking about.

"Those he loves?" I asked, not sure I wanted to hear what she had to say.

"Percy was willing to go to the Underworld to save his mother. He followed a deadly trail straight into the Sea of Monsters when Grover needed him. And when you disappeared, and he found out where you were…his actions are admirable enough, Annabeth, but you must be careful. His nobility could very well destroy him. Your friendship is a strong one, my daughter, and I do not approve."

"Mother!" I said, aghast. "You're not letting that stupid grudge…"

"No," she interrupted, "this has little to do with the grudge…although that certainly doesn't help." She pursed her lips, clearly annoyed at the mere thought of Percy's father. "I don't want to see my daughter destroyed by a friendship that could so easily go so very wrong."

"I'm going to prove you wrong," I said. Athena's eyes flashed, and I knew I was in dangerous territory, but I had to continue. "Percy is my friend, and I trust him. I know you want what's best for me, but I also know I have to do what _I_ think is best for me." The steely gray softened just a bit.

"Wise words spoken by a wise daughter," Athena said. "Very well. Prove me wrong, Annabeth Chase. You have already proven yourself worthy of hero status…but let me warn you, should _you_ be the one proven wrong, I hope you remember your mother's words." With that, she turned and left, leaving me to ponder our conversation alone.

* * *

I left the party some time later to get some air – the celebration was clearly going to go on all night, and if I was going to last that long, I needed a break. As I made my way across the room, I saw my mother again…talking to Percy. Clearly, she was not about to drop this whole "I-do-not-approve" thing anytime soon, and I had a feeling Percy was currently getting a lecture similar to the one I'd heard earlier.

"I will leave you, for now," I heard her say as I drew closer. She turned and made her way through the crowds. Percy looked confused and a little exhausted.

"Was she giving you a hard time?" I asked as I reached him.

"No," he replied. "It's…it's fine." His sea-green eyes closely studied my face. I reached up and gently touched the new streak of gray in his dark hair, the one that mirrored mine almost exactly – our matching souvenirs from the all-consuming weight of the sky. He looked troubled, like he had a lot on his mind but couldn't figure out how to say any of it.

"So," I began, trying to break the awkward silence. "What did you want to tell me earlier?"

"Oh," Percy said. "I, uh, was thinking we got interrupted at Westover Hall. And…I think I owe you a dance." I smiled in spite of myself. I was pretty sure that wasn't what he'd meant to say, but I was ok with it nevertheless.

"All right, Seaweed Brain," I said softly. I reached out to take his hand and glanced up at the stars, where the newest constellation, "The Huntress," sparkled above us. As we swayed gently on the spot, I smiled to myself. As dangerous as it was, I couldn't help but think that, in this case, my mother was most definitely wrong.


End file.
